Carrick neighbors hoping for change on a busy stretch after deadly dirt bike crash

PITTSBURGH — A small bouquet of white flowers now honors the person who died in a crash on Brownsville Road in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the kid,” said Jared Merling, who lives off Brownsville Road.

Pittsburgh police said the victim, whose name and age have not yet been released by officials, crashed into a car while he was riding a dirt bike along Brownsville Road Saturday afternoon.

Merling said he was walking home minutes after it happened.

“There was a bunch of cops,” he said. “They had the whole area taped off and the kid was on the ground. Obviously, he was unconscious. He was bleeding real bad.”

Police are investigating if speeding played a role in the deadly crash.

Several neighbors, however, said speeding is a problem. They said cars and dirt bikes fly down the road, and while Channel 11 News reporter Antoinette DelBel was there, she saw car after car seemingly going faster than the 25-mile speed limit.

“They do 50-60 miles an hour on them dirt bikes up and down the road here,” Merling said. “They do wheelies up and down the roads all the time, and it’s just dangerous even for people that are walking on the sidewalk. It’s dangerous.”

Sydney Stephenson, who lives a few blocks away on Maytide Street, said the busy stretch is dangerous.

“I’ve seen cars going really, really fast,” she said. “And on weekdays when the kids are at the school, sometimes people ignore the crossing guard. It’s a little bit crazy.”

Stephenson and some other neighbors said they’d like to see speed bumps on Brownsville Road to slow traffic.

“People used to speed on Maytide Street, and we had people hitting our light poles, running over dogs. It was really awful,” said Stephenson. “Then, they put all those speed bumps in there and it’s helped so much.”

Police are still investigating the crash.

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